Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Doppler effect for sound waves

Doppler effect for sound waves — practice question

(a)[1]

Describe what is meant by the Doppler effect.

(b)[3]

A car moves at a steady speed along a straight road. Its horn emits a continuous sound with frequency of $400\,\text{Hz}$. A stationary observer by the roadside hears the horn at $360\,\text{Hz}$. The speed of sound is $340\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. Find the magnitude $v$, and the direction, of the car’s velocity relative to the observer.

Worked solution & mark scheme

This 4-mark question has a full step-by-step worked solution and mark scheme. One marking point: When the source moves relative to the observer, the observed frequency is not the same as the source frequency

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